By ROBERT L. LEE

LAPLACE – Things change, whether scheduled, expected or not, and coaches participating in Metro Softball have come to accept this.

Of the recent shake ups, the two most influential have been E.D. White High School dropping from contingency in the Metro schedule and the resignation from exalted Riverside Academy softball head coach Matt White.

The loss of the Cardinals’ from competition leaves Lutcher, St. Charles Catholic and Riverside Academy high schools to compete amongst themselves through the four scheduled days of six games each day.

Although playing with an odd number of closely related schools, the change does not severely affect the teams’ playing schedules, only changed the location of the June 14 block of games from being at E.D. White to the St. Charles Catholic field.

The coaches are discussing what to do about the fourth day of games, June 28, and are leaning to playing a normal schedule at either St. Charles Catholic or Lutcher high school. The teams play for one hour, or up to five innings, whichever comes first, to allow each team at least two competitive games.

At the Lady Rebels’ camp, the loss of White stunned faculty, players and parents, but the team continues to march forward under a former Lady Rebel. White’s assistant, the ex-four-year Lady Rebel Tanya Teague, wanted to help her alma mater while in town for the summer, then was asked to step up as the temporary head coach for the Metro summer team.

Teague graduated from Riverside Academy in 1999, holds a AA degree in coaching and is currently on the University of Florida softball team.

“I enjoy helping the team, the players enjoy it and it’s good experience for me,” said Teague. She said she doesn’t know much about the situation with White, her former coach, but added “he will truly be missed. He was a terrific coach.”

Under her guidance, the Lady Rebels are continuing with their usual two and three day per week practices and trying to move along in their regular routine.